The entire hall fell into suffocating silence.
Broken concrete still crumbled from the shattered ceiling while sparks of crimson fire drifted through the air like embers from a dying sun. The pressure radiating from the three Guild Leaders alone was enough to make the remaining teachers struggle to breathe.
Daniel could feel countless eyes locked onto him.
Lucas stood with his hands behind his back, lightning crackling faintly around his sleeves. Elizabeth wore a calm smile, though the dangerous gleam in her eyes never faded. James gripped his massive war hammer tightly enough for veins to bulge across his arms.
All three monsters were waiting for his answer.
"To be honest…" he began calmly, causing all three figures to narrow their eyes further, "your offers are tempting."
James immediately grinned proudly. Elizabeth crossed her arms beneath her chest with a victorious smile Lucas simply remained silent.
"But," Daniel continued, "I don't plan on joining any guild."
The words struck like a bolt from the blue.
"…What?" James blinked.
Elizabeth's seductive smile froze for the first time. Even Lucas looked genuinely stunned.
"Brat, do you realize what you just refused?" James barked, his fiery aura surging violently. An invisible pressure exploded through the hall, causing the remaining windows to shatter instantly.
Elizabeth lightly raised a hand, vines of emerald mana spreading across the floor and neutralizing most of the pressure before the students nearby fainted.
"Calm down, muscle brain," she said lazily before turning back toward Daniel with narrowed eyes. "You rejected all three of us… why?"
Daniel met her gaze without flinching.
"Because I want freedom."
The simple answer caused the hall to quiet once more.
"I don't know enough about the world yet," Daniel continued. "If I join a guild now, I'll become tied to it from the beginning. I'd rather grow stronger first and decide my path later."
Lucas stared at Daniel silently.
Then slowly… A smile appeared on the old man's face.
"Hahaha!" Lucas suddenly burst into laughter. The thunderous sound echoed throughout the ruined hall.
"As expected of an EX Talent holder," he said while shaking his head. "Pride, ambition, and caution all at once."
"Tch. Waste of effort." James clicked his tongue in annoyance. Although irritated, he secretly admired the boy slightly more now. Most teenagers would have immediately agreed after hearing those offers. Very few possessed the courage to reject three Expert Rank powerhouses directly to their faces.
Elizabeth meanwhile stared at Daniel thoughtfully. Her honey-colored eyes seemed to peer far deeper than before. Then suddenly, she smiled.
"A dangerous boy," she murmured softly. "I like him."
James nearly choked hearing that. Lucas looked utterly done with the two of them.
"Fine," James grunted after a while. "Even if you don't join Crimson Dwarves now, this old man still appreciates talent."
He reached into the air, causing a crimson spatial ripple to appear beside him. A small black token flew out and landed in Daniel's hand. The token carried the symbol of a flaming hammer.
"With that token, any branch of Crimson Dwarves will offer you assistance within reason. Don't lose it."
"You're pretending to act generous now?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Elizabeth then flicked her finger lightly.
A silver bracelet wrapped with delicate green runes floated toward Daniel.
"If you ever encounter trouble," she said with a faint smile, "pour mana into that bracelet and someone from Celestial Reign will come find you."
James stared at her in disbelief.
"You gave him a direct communication artifact?!"
"And?" Elizabeth replied smugly.
Lucas rubbed his forehead. The two guild leaders were practically throwing gifts at the boy now.
After a brief silence, Lucas sighed and tossed Daniel a small golden book.
"This is a basic mana control technique," he said. "Not a combat skill, so there's no issue giving it to you. Learn it well before entering any dungeon."
Daniel caught the book carefully.
For a moment, he genuinely didn't know what to say. Three major figures capable of shaking entire cities were treating him like some priceless treasure.
"Thank you," Daniel finally said sincerely.
James waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't die before becoming strong enough to entertain me." Elizabeth chuckled softly. "Or handsome enough."
"Can you stop acting like a predator for five seconds?" James snapped.
Before another argument could start, Lucas suddenly frowned. His eyes turned toward the massive hole in the ceiling.
"…Something strong is coming," he muttered.
The moment those words left his mouth, both James and Elizabeth's expressions changed instantly.
James' playful demeanor vanished completely as he tightened his grip around his war hammer. Crimson flames erupted around his body instinctively, distorting the surrounding air with unbearable heat.
Elizabeth's teasing smile also faded. The flowers blooming around her feet withered instantly as emerald mana condensed silently around her slender fingers.
For the first time since arriving… The two Guild Leaders looked serious.
Daniel felt a chill run down his spine. If beings like these were reacting this way, then whatever was approaching could only be unimaginably terrifying.
The mana in the surroundings suddenly froze.
No— It felt more like the world itself had gone silent. Even the drifting embers in the air seemed to slow unnaturally.
Then—
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Soft footsteps echoed from the empty sky above. Every step sounded unnaturally clear despite the destruction around them, as though the sound itself bypassed space entirely.
A figure clad in a black cloak slowly descended from the heavens.
Not flying.
Not falling.
Walking.
Walking through empty air itself as though invisible stairs existed beneath his feet.
The moment the man appeared—
Lucas's pupils contracted sharply. James' face paled. Elizabeth's calm expression finally cracked.
Shock, disbelief and fear.
An invisible pressure descended upon the academy. The remaining teachers instantly collapsed to their knees, unable to withstand the terrifying aura. Several weaker students outright fainted as cracks spread across the ground beneath the stranger's mere presence.
Daniel himself struggled to breathe. His instincts screamed at him to run.
To kneel.
To survive.
Yet strangely enough- the cloaked figure's attention was fixed entirely on him.